Sugar and Spice
by wildknees
Summary: All of the Tyrells make Renly nervous but Margaery is the worst of them, and rightly so.


"You'll _love _them," was what Loras had said to Renly about his family. In most cases Renly wouldn't need the reassurance. It was rare that he met anyone who he wasn't able to win over with charm and from all that Loras told him, the Tyrells seemed a pleasant and agreeable bunch. That was the problem. By the time Renly actually met the Tyrells, he'd heard so much about them that they were absolutely _terrifying._

Renly had known from the very beginning how important Loras' family was to him. Loras missed them terribly in Storm's End and spoke of them often. The closer Renly got to him, the more he heard. By the time friendship turned to secret kisses and touches, Renly had heard every fond memory Loras could recount. He knew exactly how Garlan had fared in his first tournament, he knew which gardens Lady Alerie preferred in selecting her flower arrangements, he knew why Willas enjoyed Maester Merr's treatise on the stars more than Archmaester Vaellyn's. Renly was sure he could now list off an endless number of facts and preferences for each of the Tyrells, but what those stories really told Renly was just how much of Loras he had to share with them.

It was a childish sentiment to wish he had Loras all to himself, and that wasn't even taking into account how unhappy Loras would be without his family. Renly couldn't help it. Now that he was veritably up to the ears in Tyrells, he more than ever wanted Loras' attention all to himself. It was rare that he'd ever had to share much of anything before and the Tyrells ignited the first real spark of jealousy that Renly had ever felt.

Margaery was the worst of them. Renly knew he had no reason to fear her - a maiden girl barely flowered, so small that the top of her head only came up to Renly's elbow, but she was the most intimidating person Renly had ever met. That was really saying something, considering that Renly had met both Clegane brothers.

The issue lie in that she was and always had been Loras' favorite. Tales from both of them recounted endless memories of their childhood together, with confirmation from family members, guards, and servants that the two had been all but joined at the hip. Their names were said in one breath more often than not.

It made Renly uncomfortable, jealous even. As much as Renly adored Loras, as intricately as Renly knew his mind, it seemed nothing compared to Margaery's almost innate understanding of her brother. They had a full history that Renly had no part in yet Margaery had already been a constant presence in Loras' life since the first day Renly met him.

It was more than that, though. It was a way she would look at him sometimes, her head tilted in interest, a pleasant smile on her face at whatever Renly was saying, and yet lurking beneath the exterior of her perfect courtesy was such a shrewdness that it made Renly nervous. It was like she was _testing_ him. She evaluated him against some hidden standard, judged his ability to hit an invisible quintain. She played the perfect little lady and yet each time she kissed Loras' cheek, she'd be watching Renly from the corner of her eye, _judging._

Renly had some suspicion that Loras had told her of the true nature of their relationship. Perhaps it was that, perhaps it was her nature, but he just could not get away from her. She was a pleasant enough conversation partner but her constant presence was starting to grate on him.

It was for this reason that Renly endeavoured to acquire some time alone with Loras, away from her watchful eye. Just to sit together and enjoy each other's company, as Renly had grown accustomed to. With Loras in tow, he escaped to a sitting room in a far tower of Highgarden that was in little use. The room was furnished and clean though no fire had been lit in some time and very few servants roamed about. Thankfully Loras did not question it. Renly could not voice his weariness of Loras' family without deeply offending Loras, and that was not something he was eager to do.

Not even half an hour had passed in blissful solitude when there came a knock at the door. There was only one person it could be. Renly should have known better than to let himself relax.

Upon opening the door, Loras made a soft, sweet sound that Renly had never heard from him before. He returned to the chair he'd been sitting in with something small and orange cradled to his chest. Margaery was right behind him with a large basket.

"They're Sweet Pea's kittens," Margaery explained to Loras. "She had them only a month before you arrived.

Smiling, she turned to Renly and curtsied. "Good afternoon, Lord Renly."

"Lady Margaery," Renly greeted as he got to his feet. He beckoned to a nearby chair. "Have a seat, please."

Instead Margaery seated herself at the foot of the chaise longue that Renly had been relaxing on. Renly had no choice but to sit back down next to her or risk looking strange. She set her basket on the floor. Inside was a wriggling mass of orange, white, and black - more kittens just like the one Loras was holding. Renly thought he counted five in the basket, though it was hard to tell with the way they piled on top of each other.

"They're sweet," Loras said, stroking the orange one in his arms. "I miss having cats around like this."

"Are there no lap cats in Storm's End?" Margaery asked.

Loras shook his head in disappointment. "No."

Renly managed to resist frowning, though he could not help but pout a little bit. He'd not known Loras was lacking anything in Storm's End. True the cats there were the rough kitchen sort who were as like to gouge your hand as let themselves be pet. Loras had never made any indication that he desired otherwise, nor that he had a fondness for the animals.

Perhaps Renly should have guessed it. There was a certain something kindred between them. The elegance and poise, the quiet haughtiness, the way they chose only a select few who were worthy of continued affection. There was even something of Loras in the way a cat could slip off a ledge and then land to look as if that was exactly what it intended to do.

The squirming kittens in the basket held none of that poise. They were still so young and unsteady on their legs that they could not even find their way out of the basket.

"Aren't they sweet?" Margaery asked. She plucked one of the kittens from the pile. "This one is Lady Bluesky, and the one Loras has is called Ser Greenhill. Or maybe they're the other way around - I still can't tell them apart."

Indeed the kitten Margaery held was an exact match to the one in Loras' arms. Loras laughed at the names and smiled fondly. "What perfect names. Tell Renly where they come from."

"They're characters we created," Margaery explained, "Loras and I were always creating games when we were children. Most often we'd play as Lady Bluesky and Ser Greenhill, a fair maiden and a brave knight." She smiled. "Or, occasionally, a brave maiden and a fair knight."

The story would have been endearing if Renly had heard it about anyone else, but in this case he found it just another reminder of how close Margaery and Loras had always been. Even the identical looks of the kittens reflected it, mirroring the uncomfortable similarity between Margaery and Loras.

Renly just smiled thinly at the kitten curled up in Margaery's lap. "They're interesting names for cats," he said.

"Oh, they all have interesting names. This one here is Goldenwood." Margaery picked up another kitten from the basket. It was a lighter orange than the other two, almost cream colored on its belly. "There's a place deep within the forest here like you've never seen before. There are old willow trees all around it and wildflowers in every color. I'm certain no one else knows of it. Loras and I named it the _Goldenwood._"

Loras glanced up from where he was playing with Ser Greenhill in his lap. "It's such a beautiful place, Renly. Like something from a song."

"I have a place just like that at Storm's End. Perhaps I should take you there," Renly said, ignoring how petty and competitive it sounded.

Neither Loras nor Margaery seemed to hear him. Margaery passed over Goldenwood in a way that Renly had no choice but to accept the kitten. It immediately sunk its claws into his palms – they were very sharp for such a tiny thing. Cringing, Renly dropped the kitten onto his lap, where it then began digging its claws into his thighs.

He'd never had any fondness for cats. Perhaps when he was small he'd enjoyed stroking their soft fur, but in the Siege of Storm's End he'd eaten more of them than he ever cared to think about. Now he felt as if cats just _knew_ what he'd done, somehow. He tried to nudge Goldenwood off onto the chaise but it made a distressed mewing noise, so he let it resume shredding his breeches.

The next kitten Margaery picked up was an odd looking thing. It had huge yellow eyes and its face was half black, half orange, divided right down the center.

"This one is Old Maester Tom," Margaery said as she turned the kitten for Loras to see.

Immediately Loras burst out laughing. "That looks like Old Maester Tom for sure!" he snickered.

"Who's Old Maester Tom?" Renly asked, making both of them laugh.

"He's this man who... well he's... oh, you really had to be there to understand," Margaery said. "It wouldn't make sense if I explained it."

"You're lucky for that," Loras said, and he and Margaery fell into giggles again.

It was maddening to have them giggling at some private joke while Renly sat watching them from the outside. That was exactly what he felt like he was doing, being reminded again and again of how recent an addition he was to Loras' life and how much there was that he still didn't know. Goldenwood's claws were somehow getting even sharper and Renly could scarcely resist gritting his teeth in annoyance.

Finally Margaery and Loras seemed to recover. Old Maester Tom was set down on the rug and Margaery picked up a black and white kitten next.

"You should be able to guess the name of this one, Lord Renly. She's named after Loras' favorite song, which is my favorite song as well."

Renly grinned. Finally something to show that he wasn't as far outside Loras' life as he was starting to feel. "Berrick the Brave," he answered.

"Alysanne, actually," Margaery corrected.

Frowning, Renly turned to Loras. "You always ask to hear Berrick the Brave. You even ask me to sing it for you."

"I do like it," Loras said, smiling sheepishly. "But it's not my favorite. It's just, you're better at singing Berrick the Brave than Alysanne."

Margaery laughed, amused but not mocking, but she may as well have spit in Renly's face for what he felt like now. Goldenwood had finally decided his legs were properly flayed and crawled out of his lap but he felt no better. Margaery was goading him. She must have been. Renly had never been easily riled but somehow this girl had so easily worked her way under his skin.

He glared at the last creature in the basket, a little black one, and wondered how Margaery would use it to humiliate him. She'd already proven she had the upper hand. There was nothing left to do than to get it over with.

"What's that one called, then?"

"This one here?" Margaery asked as she picked up the black kitten.

"Yes, that one. What's it called?" Surely she'd chosen one more thing that showed just how much better she knew Loras than he did, though gods knew she'd already rubbed his face in that enough already.

"This one?" Margaery asked again.

"_Yes,_ that one."

Margaery set the kitten in his lap and it peered up at him with large blue eyes. "Why, he's called Renly."

Loras laughed. Renly stared at the kitten. "... Renly," he said flatly.

"Yes, that's right."

"Renly," he said, "You named a cat after me." He was not sure if he should be insulted. In fact, he was not sure at all what he should feel about it.

"I thought it suited him," Margaery explained as if that made perfect sense.

Loras knelt on the rug so that he was at eye level with the black kitten in Renly's lap, smiling at the little thing. "It does," he agreed.

"Loras' letters said your eyes had more green to them, but now I can see that I wasn't far off in my imagining. The kitten matches you quite nicely."

"_Renly,_" Loras said to the kitten, grinning. "He's adorable." Loras reached to stroke the kitten behind its ears. Renly jumped at the sudden sensation as the kitten began to purr.

"Isn't he?" Margaery smiled as she watched her brother. "And you know Loras, I do think I'll let you keep him."

Nothing in her face betrayed that her words had any hidden meaning. She didn't wink at Renly, nor give him a knowing smile. She didn't need to. The meaning of it all was clear enough.

Renly knew he had no reason to feel so pleased. He'd never needed her approval, nor validation, but it made him sit up a little taller. He smiled to himself and stroked the kitten's back. If Loras could look at that little creature with so much affection in his eyes, surely there was enough of it to go around.


End file.
